Seven Study - Week 1 - Food

You'll have to forgive me, we're getting ready for a major mission project at our church this week, and my husband is heading it up. There are people coming into town from all over the country, and all kinds of trailers and shower trailers slowly starting to arrive. We are wiped out, the house is upside down, and I'm having difficulty thinking straight. (I should add that I'm also very excited that our church is able to be a part of this, and honored to get to be a small part of it, just a little tired.)
Despite my ineffective brain, I still want to share what's going on with our Bible study and some neat stuff I found to go along with it.
We are 2 days into our first fast today, and the focus is on food. There are several options for this week, the main idea is to find a way to both sacrifice something in the area of food and bring our focus onto just how much we have. We are so spoiled. I'm going to go a little more in depth about this later on in the week, and update you on how it's going.
In our group, we have two different fasts going on - a few of us are going without spending money on food for the whole week (we are only eating what we already have in the house). This is eye opening, as we all have a tendency to think have nothing to eat when, in reality, we have enough groceries in the house to last us at least a week, maybe two. It's just not the type of food we want in that moment.
The other fast is the same one Jen Hatmaker did in her original seven experiment - seven foods only for seven days. There is a suggested, nutritionally balanced list of foods in the book, but you can alter it if you like. I know one mom who decided to add coffee, making it eight foods. She's also on a road trip house shopping, so, you know, you've got to have grace with yourself and have reasonable expectations.
I found a really sobering documentary that really helps put this whole thing inter perspective - it's called "58", and it's based off of the passage in Isaiah 58:6-8 where God calls his people to a true fast:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (NIV)
The documentary contains interviews with believers all over the world, some experiencing famine, some enslaved in a brick quarry, and some Americans and British believers who have taken this passage seriously and how they've applied it to their lives and careers.
Seeing real poverty makes me see the irony in fasting - we spend a week trying not to eat everything we have available, while a large percentage of the world's population is going to spend this week just trying to get enough food to survive. I am thankful for what I have, but I see it as a responsibility not to be taken lightly.
Like I said, my brain is a little too mushy this week to do much writing, but I found this wonderful article written by another blogger, Elisa, at Average Advocate. She is a fellow revolutionary mom, and I want to share her words, which speak my heart as well.
Have you gotten yourself a copy of "Seven" yet? I highly recommend it!
Are you fasting from anything this week? I'll try to let you know a little earlier what our next fast will be so you can join from the beginning!
Shared at titus2tuesday